Spike.



. Patented Fab. i2, |901. T. .L w, HlcK.

SPIKE.- (Application mea mr, 29,v 19cm' (No Model.)

mim ww Lil 'Unirse @France Afinar SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters E'atent No. 667,700, dated February 12, 1901.

Application filed March 29,

To @ZZ whom, it m/a/g/ concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J oHN WHITE HICK, a citizen of-the United States, and a resident of Prescott, in the county of Yavapai and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Spike, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved spike arranged to securely hold a rail in position on a tie when the spike is once driven home, to prevent loosening and spreading of the rails, and at the same time prevent moisture from entering the wood of the tie at the shank of the spike, and thereby avoid untimely decay of the tie, the spike when driven into the wood preventing breaking or tearing of the fibers and insuring long life to the tie.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the tie and rail with the spike in position, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the spike.

The improved spike consists, essentially, of a head A, formed with overhanging or laterally-projecting lip B, and the depending spaced but parallel Shanks O, tapering from the head to the point O, the inner opposite surfaces O2 of the points being curved reversely-that is, in opposite directions in a plane extending through the axes of the shanks, as is plainly7 indicated in the drawings. The under surfaces of the lip B and head A are plane and continuons and slightly inclined to bear true on the ish-plate or baseange of the rail, and the Shanks C are separate and distinct from each other, the head A forming a bridge between the Shanks, so that the head by necessity bears on top of or just above the tie at the point between the Shanks.

The spike when in use engages with the lip 1900. Serial No. 10,619. (No model.)

B, the base of a railroad-rail D, or the fishplate, and the Shanks C When driven into the wood of the tie E Spread apart, as indicated in Fig. 2, owing to the inner opposite surfaces of the points being curved in opposite directions, as above explained. The under side of the lip B is beveled, as indicated in Fig. 3, and said lip is somewhat wider than the spaces between the Shanks C at the upper ends thereof, so as to give great durability to the head and to insure proper holding of the spike on the base of the rail.

The rear surface of the head A is concaved, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby affording a strong connection or brace between the upper ends of the Shanks, enabling the spike to better resist strains caused by forces acting transversely on the rail.

It is evident that when the spike is driven home and its Shanks spread, as indicated in Fig. 2, considerable resistance and increased holding power is produced, so that the spike is not liable to become loose from the jarring of the rails caused by the cars passing over the same.

By having the Shanks tapering from the head to the points a perfectly-tight ft is ob- .tained in the wood, and consequently moisture is not liable to enter at the Shanks, whereby an untimely decay of the wood is prevented, and the spike is not liable to become loose, owing to the decay of the wood. Furthermore, when the spike is driven home the Shanks are not liable to tear or break the bers of the wood, and consequently the spike is firmly embedded in the wood, leaving a perfectly and Well lled shoulder-hole.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A spike comprising two diverging Shanks located in the same plane, a head connecting the upper ends ofthe Shanks and having its rear surface concaved and iiush with those of the Shanks, and a lip projecting from the head at the front thereof, the under surface of the head and of the lip being inclined or beveled from the front edge of the lip to the rear face of the head.

2. A spike comprising two Shanks, a head IOO connecting their upper ends, and having its real' surface eoncaved Aund flush with those ofthe Shanks, and a lip projecting from the head at the front thereof, the under surface of the head and of the lip being inclined 01' beveled from the front edge of the lip to the rear face of the head.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiieation in the presence of two subsciibing Witnesses.

THOMAS JOHN WHITE HICK.

Witnesses:

WM. C. MAYS, WM. S. REYNOLDS. 

